BY MARK CASHMAN

When Anthony Griffin stepped into the rugby world with Shute Shield club Eastwood, he knew it wouldn’t be a simple change of jerseys.

After decades immersed in the NRL — including senior coaching roles with the Broncos, Dragons and Panthers — Griffin has found himself back in student mode, learning the finer details of a game that, while familiar on the surface, operates very differently once you get beneath it.

And he’s relishing the challenge.

“I’m enjoying the challenge of having to learn the intricacies,” Griffin told Rugby News.

“I followed it for a while because my son plays, so I’m not totally fresh, but it has been a really good challenge for me to go and learn something totally new.”

From the outside, rugby league and rugby union can look similar. Griffin says the reality is very different.

“The ball’s always live in rugby — that’s the biggest difference,” he added.

“In league you’ve got a set time frame of six plays unless there’s an error. In rugby the contest for the ball is constant.

“Trying to understand that, the rules around it, and the techniques of either keeping possession or getting it back — that’s been the biggest learning curve.”

The knock-on effect touches every part of the game — from defensive systems to decision-making in possession.

“You’re constantly thinking about what your objective is once you gain possession, depending on field position and how long you want to keep the ball before you kick,” Griffin said.

Griffin hasn’t approached the transition lightly. The offseason became an intensive study period, with hours spent reviewing footage and leaning on experienced voices in the game.

At TG Millner he has a strong support network through assistants Sam Rolfe and Reg de Jager.

“They’ve been at the club a couple of years now and they’re really good people and really good coaches in their own right,” Griffin said.

“I learn a lot from them by watching them and through the chats we have.”

Beyond that, Griffin sought insight from the professional ranks.

He spent time observing the NSW Waratahs under Dan McKellar and also spent a week with the Queensland Reds, guided by coach Les Kiss.

“They’ve been brilliant,” Griffin said. “They gave me access to their meetings and their coaches and spent time answering questions. Over the offseason I just tried to do as much work as I could so I understand the game as well as possible.”

While the on-field differences are obvious, Griffin says the structure around the game has also required adjustment.

At the club level in rugby, recruitment and squad building are far less rigid than in the NRL’s salary-cap-driven system.

“In the NRL you’ve got 30 spots and a salary cap — everything’s locked down,” Griffin said.
“Here players come from everywhere, all over the world. They’re ringing you wanting to come, you’re watching a lot of tape, and there’s not many rules in recruitment. That took a little bit to get my head around.”

Eastwood’s approach, however, has been largely internal.

“We’re fortunate that we’ve got a really good core group of players,” Griffin said. “A lot of them won second grade last year and played colts together. There’s a good group of 20-to-23-year-olds emerging and some experienced guys who’ve been at the club for a long time.”

Among the key figures Griffin expects to shape Eastwood’s season are experienced halfbacks Tommy Goddard and Matt Gonzales, along with fullback Isaac Crowe.

Up front, prop Will Goddard — a young forward in the Waratahs system returning from an ACL injury — is another player Griffin believes has significant upside.

The club has also added a couple of backs from New Zealand, including Jack Harding. Welsh playmaker Brad Roderick-Evans has impressed during the offseason as well.

Despite Griffin’s extensive coaching pedigree, he insists results aren’t the immediate focus.
Instead, the emphasis is on culture.

“I just want all our guys to be good clubmen,” he said.

“If we’re all committed as a group and enjoy playing together, we’ll produce a good standard of football. But if you’re not quite right and you don’t trust each other, it doesn’t matter how smart you are with the way you want to play.”

Eastwood’s preseason has included a camp in the Southern Highlands at the impressive home of the Bowral Blacks, with trials against Randwick and Northern Suburbs before the competition kicks off.

For Griffin, the early months have reinforced that the move was the right one.

“The people around the club and the playing group have just been a pleasure to be involved with,” he said.

“It’s been frustrating at times learning a new game, but it’s also been a great challenge — and one I’ve really enjoyed, made easier by being a club that is well run with a lot of good people involved.”